Price of Experience

Now I know why it is called ‘Labor pains’ – because by the time you have gone through all that hard work – you have earned the right to say you have had an ‘experience’.

Warning – Rant ahead

Having been a teacher and taught in the school district – I can understand the work that is involved when dealing with students – it is hard work no doubt but it is rewarding as well – that is why most of us become teachers. However a discussion about an incident between a high school senior and a teacher got me thinking – when dealing with teenagers would you not want someone who has experience than someone who just meets a bunch of academic qualifications?

When I say ‘experience’ I mean a parent – because nothing in this world prepares you for life and handling expectations than becoming a parent. I have seen giants fall to their knees – cut down to size by a baby – O! how the mighty fall. But jokes aside, I sincerely believe that becoming a parent is the single most important event that changes you as a person.

So don’t you think it is sad when a teenager acts as an adult because the teacher suddenly regressed and thought she was in high school all over again? It may be petty but when a teenager becomes the adult – it shows the lack of experience on the part of the teacher.

I remember watching a TV show a long time ago where the lady is looking for a job, but she does not have any ‘experience’ since she has been home raising her kids. So when she goes in for the interview and the man in charge asks her a bevy of questions all related to her working in the industry – of course she could not give him the affirmative answers he was looking for. So finally when he asked her what made her think that she was qualified for the job, she tore into him saying she may have stayed home, but she raised a family, taught them values that made them independent responsible individuals, cooked, cleaned, did laundry and maintained a house, dog and husband all while keeping well under budget and balancing the checkbook – which is a lot more than most men can say about their organizations and their budgets or about multitaksing.

That particular show left a mark on me (O – the boss was more petrified than anything and hired her on the spot) cause that is when I realized that being a mother is not just a job – but a mission in life. And we only see the result when those kids become adults.